It is known to provide lightweight coated fabrics of great strength which are flame resistant and resistant to mildew and ultra-violet degradation. All of these properties have been found to be desirable in a tent fabric intended for commercial or military use and are recited in Military Specification MIL-C-44103.
It is known in the prior art to provide fabrics meeting the requirements of Military Specification MIL-C-44103, dated June 27, 1983, for Cloth, Duck, Polyester, Fire, Water and Weather Resistant. A fabric meeting the requirements of Military Specification No. MIL-C-44103 has been manufactured by Graniteville Company of Graniteville, S.C. under its Product Code 990081 since Dec. 16, 1982. The Graniteville fabric is not patented, but is the closest prior art known to applicants. The Graniteville fabric has a polyester substrate, with a coating by impregnation of polyvinyl chloride polymer, chlorinated paraffin (40% Chlorine), chlorinated paraffin (70% Chlorine), 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate plasticizer, antimony trioxide, zinc oxide, decabromodiphenyl oxide, zirconium wax, epoxy resin, barium-cadmium, fumed silica and pigments.
It is also known in the prior art to provide a coated fabric which is resistant to abrasion. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,027, issued Apr. 9, 1963 upon application of John A. Porteous for POLYURETHANE COATED FABRIC FILLED WITH ISOCYANATE FREE ELASTOMER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.
The said Graniteville fabric meets the said military specification, but it has been found to lack the requisite film integrity to provide sufficient adhesion of the coating to the substrate and sufficient resistance to abrasion.